California Department of Transportation
Caltrans > Division of Accounting > Travel Guide > Chapter 11 - Transportation & On-Line Reservations > Rail/Amtrak
 
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Clark Paulsen, Division Chief

Rail/Amtrak

References: DPA 599.626 and 599.629.1 and Bargaining Unit Contracts

INTRODUCTION

The Division of Rail has partnered with Amtrak ® to develop the Amtrak California web site which provides information on the three (3) main interstate rail routes within California:

  • the Capitol Corridor
  • the Pacific Surfliner
  • the San Joaquin

Information on local inter-city rail services and other local transportation may be found at the Visit California website web site under “Public Transportation”.

Reimbursement will be made only for the method of transportation that is in the best interest of the State, considering both direct expense as well as the employees' time. Special rates and round trip rates should be used whenever possible.

ONLINE RESERVATIONS AND TICKETS

Online reservations should be made in Concur (formerly Cliqbook) via the CalTravelStore .

concur reservations

  • Login to your Concur Account
  • Choose the Rail Tab.
  • Choose between Round Trip, One-Way and Multi Segment.
  • Enter Departure and Arrival Stations.
  • Enter Dates and Times of Departure and Return (Calendar/Dropdown).
  • Press Search.
  • Choose “Search by Fares” or “Search by Schedule”.
  • Press “Reserve Ticket”.
  • Choose Credit Card – “Caltrans American Express BTA ***1010”
  • Press “Next”.
  • Review Selected Itinerary; Enter Travel Preferences and Passenger Information.
  • “If you are certain you want to book this trip, click “Next”.
  • Enter Trip Name, Description and confirmation e-mail address./li>
  • Enter Cost Coding = Unit, Project, Phase, Object Code (dropdown) and Reporting ID (if applicable).
  • Press “Next”
  • To complete booking, press the “Purchase Ticket” button after reviewing the page. To cancel, press the “Cancel” button.
  • Print Itinerary.

PHONE RESERVATIONS

Reservations made over the phone will incur a higher service fee. Reservations may be made over the phone by calling the CalTravelStore at (916) 376-3989 or toll free at 1-877-454-8785.

PICK UP TICKET AT RAIL STATION

When purchasing your tickets online in Concur (formerly Cliqbook) or over the phone via the CalTravelStore, you'll need to receive the actual tickets before you travel. There are two options for obtaining your tickets:

  • *Collect your ticket through a Quik-Trak Machine; or
  • Pick up from a ticket window at the Amtrak departure train station.

*Follow the on-screen displays for instruction on the use of the Amtrak Quik-Trak Machine. For more information, visit Amtrak's Quik-Trak page. A credit card is required to activate the machine along with your Amtrak reservation number. The credit card is used as a form of ID and will not be charged if the reservation was made in Cliqbook.

UNUSED RESERVATIONS AND TICKETS

Employees should return unused tickets to the CalTravelStore and request a refund by providing the name of the traveling employee and the travel date. Mail the unused tickets /vouchers to:

CalTravelStore
707 3rd Street
West Sacramento, CA 95605

REIMBURSEMENT CLAIMS

Employees purchasing their own rail tickets for official state business travel may receive reimbursement by submitting a travel expense claim (TEC). Receipts are required for rail fares over $24.99 when travel is wholly within the State of California. The object code for rail fares is 001.

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